Vehicle-wheel buffer.



M. F. KETTLER.', VEHICLE'WHEEL BUFFER APPLICATION FILED AUG-20. 1915.

Patented; Feb/29,1916.

MARTIN F. KETTLER, OF HOUSTON,

WHEEL COMPANY, OF HOUSTON, TEXAS) VEHICLE-WHEEL BUFFER.

Original application filed February 25, 1915, Serial No. 10,500.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Feb. 29, 1916. Divided and this application filed August 20, 1915. Serial No. 46,553.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN F. KETTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and use 111 Improvements in -Vehicle-Wheel Buff rs, of which the following is a specifi- The ordinary type of buffer above referred to is in the nature of a soft rubber sleeve which cooperates with an abutment element, as, for example, a metallic sleeve. It has been found by experience that where a buffer of this type is employed and is held stationary, the constant pounding and compression to which it is subjected soon results in deterioration and hardening of the rubber of which the same is composed.

It is, therefore, one aim of the present invention to provide a novel means for mounting such a buffer, which means will permit of the buffer rotating freely so that different portions of its surface may be presented to the abutment element.

More specifically, the invention aims to provide for such a buffer an anti-friction mounting which will permit the buffer to rotate freely without, however, subjecting the same to such wear as would be incident to the mounting of the buffer directly upon a bolt or spindle.

Briefly stated, the invention resides in mounting the rubber bufier sleeve upon a .sleeve preferably of anti-friction metal,

which latter sleeve is in turn rotatably mounted upon a bolt or any other suitable supporting element, whereby an anti-friction bearing is afforded, and it is one object of the invention to provide novel means for securing the buffer sleeve upon the sleeve of anti-friction metal in such manner'as to positively provide against creeping of the the plate .8,

rubber buffer sleeve upon the sleeve of antifriction metal.

This application constitutes a division of my co-pending application for patent on buffers for vehicle wheels, filed February 25, 1915, Serial No. 10,500.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of a wheel equipped with the buffer embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the buffer. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the buffer sleeve.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, the wheel, in connection with which the buffer embodying the present invention is employed, is illustrated as cushion and the floating spoke rim are housed. The securing bolts also serve to secure in place the usual brake drum, which 1s indicated by the numeral 4. Fitted upon the hub 1 and fixed for rotation therewith is a bearing member comprising assembled conical sections 5 and surrounding and supported by this member is a seating member 6. As these parts constitute the subjectmatter of separate applications, specific description of the same is deemed unnecessary in this specification.

A ring nut 7' is threaded onto the hub and serves to hold the sections comprising the bearing member in place, and disposed upon the hub and against the ring nut is a plate 8 which constitutes the inner section of'the other side of the casing, above referred to,

the outer section being in the nature of an annular plate 9 arranged -concentrically to in the manner clearly shown in Fig. 1. A hub, and a nut 11 is threaded onto the hub and bears against the plate 10 and serves to bind this plate against the plate 8 whereby to hold the latter plate firmly in position against the nut 7.

The pneumatic cushion comprises an in-v plate 10 is also fitted onto the cated by the numeral 28'and'in vulcanizing flatable inner tube 12 and a casing 13, andthis cushion is fitted to they seating member 6, in the manner shown in F ig. 1, and entirely surrounds the said member. The floatlng spoke mm, which comprises. an element ofthe rim section heretofore referredto, is indicated at 14 and is disposed to'surround the pneumatic cushion l3. Spokes 15 radiate from the said rim l4 and support the the casing plates, and these bolts havereduced ends forming shoulders which,

serve toproperly space the said portions of the said casing plates. The portions of the bolts 19 which lie between the casing plates constitute the supporting elements for the buffer members,and the sleeves. 18 constitute the abutment elements. I

In the form of the invention herein illus- 3 trated, the anti-friction bearing comprises an inner sleeve 26 which is-both internally and exteriorly cylindrical and an outer sleeve 27 which may be relatively thin and which is continuously 'circumferentially cor-j rugated, the'corrugations extending length wise thereof. The soft rubber sleeve is indithe same upon the sleeve 27, the rubber will v be forced into the corrugationsand some of the rubber will enter or be forced through I 40 perforations 29 which are formed in the corrugated surface of the sleeve 27, thereby providing for a more firm anchorageof the rubber sleeve'on the said sleeve 27.

It will beunderstood that the anti-fric tion sleeve is freely rotatable upon the. bolt 19 or any other support which may be pro vided and that, consequently, different p'ortions of the surface of the soft rubber buffer porting element and," consequently no porsleeve will be successively presented to the wall of the abutment sleeve18. It will further be apparent that the rubber; sleeve is not directly mounted upon the bolt or other sup.-

t tionfof the surface of the said rubber sleeve is subjected to rubbing contact and, even should there be a relative shifting of the buffer sleeve and abutment sleeve after the two have initially been brought into contactwith each other, no rubbing action will occur lnasmuch as the buffer sleeve as a whole, or

more specifically thesleeve 26 is freely rota table upon the anti-friction bearing. It will able sleeve sleeve. f i

6. A wheel buffer of the class described, comprising a sleeve interiorly cylindrical, a

ivaeee further be understood that the sleeve 27 may be readily removed from the sleeve 26 when the rubber buffer sleeve has'become worn and it is desired ,to substitute a new one.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

. 1. In awheel of the class described, a hub I section and a 'rim section, a cushion interposed betweenthe sect ons, a buffer carried by one section and including a rotatable sleeve, a corrugated sleeve fittedthereon, a yleldable sleeve surrounding the corrugated sleeve, and an abutment carriedby the other section for cooperationwith the buffer.

.2, In a Wheel of the class described,a hub by one section and including a rotatable sleeve of anti=friction material, a corrugated sleeve'removably fitted. thereon and formed,

with perforations, a sleeve of yieldable'ma "terial surrounding the corrugated sleeve and 1 the said material of the yi'eldable sleeve entering the said perforations in the corrusection and a rim section, a cushion interposed between the sections, a buffer CELI'IlGd gated sleeve, and an abutment carried by the other section-for cooperation with the buffer.

. I In a wheel of the class described, a

elof

section and .a rim section, a cushion 'interposed between the sections, a buffer carried by one section and including a'rotatable sleeve, a corrugated sleeve removably fitted thereon, a. yieldable sleeve-surrounding the 'corrugated sleeve, and an abutment carried [by the other section forcooperation with the buffer the'corrugations of the,seco'nd mentioned sleeve extending longitudinally of the said sleeve. I

4; In a wheel of the posed between the sections, a buffer carried 'by one section and including a rotatable sleeve, a sleeve fitted thereon and having an irregular exterior surface, a yleldable' sleeve surrounding the second .mentioned sleeve and interiorly. conforming to the outersurface, and an abutment carried by the outer section for cooperation with the buffer.

5. A wheel buffer. of the class described, comprising a sleeve interiorly cylindricaha class described, a hub section and a rim section, a cushion 1nter-' corrugated sleeve fitted thereon, anda yieldsurrounding the. corrugated corrugated perforated sleeve removably fit- I ted thereon, and a sleeve of yieldable'mate rial surroundingthe corrugated sleeve, the

material of the yieldable sleeve entering the said perforations in the corrugated sleeve.

'In testimony whereof I ajflixlny signature. MARTIN .F. KETTLER. [L. s.] 

